Door lock



I Nov. 155; 1966 H. ROETHEL 3,285,645

DOOR LOCK Filed Aug. .14, 1964 INVENTOR Jfil? /7 Foe: z"%eZ.

BY I 1 United States Patent 3,285,645 DOOR LOCK John H. Roethel, 5455 SW. 87th St., South Miami, Fla. Filed Aug. 14, 1964, Ser. No. 389,578 4 Claims. (Cl. 292-30) This invention relates to latch mechanism for swinging doors, especially the doors of automobile or other vehicle bodies.

Of current interest in automotive design is the use of double-jaw latching mechanisms in which a striker pin is engaged between a pair of opposed jaws to maintain the vehicle body in latched condition. The present invention is embodied in an improved latch mechanism of this general category, and comprises a pair of opposed latching jaws or elements pivotally supported on the main plate portion of the latch mechanism. Both of the latching jaws are fixedly coupled to control or ratchet plates which are engageable by pivoted detent or pawl means for holding the latching jaws in latched position. The latchmechanism'includes improved inner and outer manually operable actuating means for simultaneously swinging or pivotally actuating the detent or pawl means to disengage the same from the control or ratchet plates. Also included are improved control means for selectively controlling the effectiveness of the actuating means in the actuation thereby of the detent or pawl means.

.An object of the present invention is to provide an improved door latch mechanism which will eflectively meet various requirements for vehicle door locks, which is characterized by simplification and compactness in construction, which is easy and economical to manufacture, and which is comparatively quiet, reliable and durable in use.

Further objects and features of the particular embodiment of the invention herein illustrated will appear in the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing forming a part of the specification wherein like reference numerals designate corresponding parts in the several views:

FIG. 1 is a sectional elevation taken substantially through lines 1-1 of FIG. 2 illustrating a door latch mechanism constructed in accordance with one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is. a sectional elevation taken substantially through lines 22 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is an elevation of the door latch mechanism taken from the side opposite to that shown in FIG. 1.

Before explaining in detail the present invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawing, since the invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation.

In the drawing there is illustrated, by way of example, a certain embodiment of the present invention as adapted to be applied to a door and door frame structure of an automobile body. The latch mechanism comprises a case plate 11 which is adapted to be secured, as by means of screws, to the inner side of the jamb portion of a vehicle door (not shown), the case plate 11 having a flange 12 which is adapted to be positioned along an inner panel Patented Nov. 15, 1966 of the door. The present latch mechanism has a pair of pivoted latch devices comprising jaw elements 13 (see FIG. 3) positioned at the outer face of case plate 11. Each jaw element 13 is provided with an integral shaft or pivot portion 14 which extends through a suitable flanged aperture (not visible) in the case plate. Suitable bearing means (not shown) are provided within the flanged aperture for journalling each shaft or pivot portion 14 for pivotal movement and for holding the jaw elements 13 on the case plate. Each jaw element 13 is keyed or otherwise fixedly coupled through its shaft 14 to a control plate 15, for a purpose to be hereinafter explained.

Each jaw element 13 is a substantially triangular plate member having its pivot axis located near its apex. The base side or the side 16 opposite the apex is provided in the center with a semi-circular recess or enlarged notch 17 adapted to encompass a cylindrical striker or keeper pin (not shown).

Each control plate 15 is provided with two peripherally spaced abutments or ratchet teeth 18 and 19. Cooperable with the abutment or ratchet toothed edge of the upper control plate 15 is a swinging detent or pawl 21 pivotally mounted on a shoulder rivet 22 secured to the case plate 11. It will be noted that the detent or pawl 21 extends in a substantially horizontal direction across the case plate 11 from the shoulder rivet 22 toward the flange 12. The detent or pawl 21 has an abutment portion 23 cooperable with the teeth or abutments 18 and 19 on the upper control plate 15. It will be further noted that the detent or pawl 21 is located above the upper control plate 15, that the ratchet teeth or abutments 18'and 19 are located on the upper peripheral surface of the upper control plate 15, and that the abutment portion 23 of the detent depends from the detent in position to engage either of the ratchet teeth 18 or 19.

The lower control plate 15 is substantially similar to the upper control plate 15 but is placed on its pivot shaft in inverted relation and out of phase approximately to the upper control plate so that the ratchet teeth 18 and 19 are located at the lower peripheral edge. The reason for this will become apparent as the description proceeds. Cooperable with the abutment or ratchettoothed edge of the lower control plate 15 is a swinging detent or pawl 24 pivotally mounted on a pivot stud or shoulder rivet 25 secured to the case plate 11. The detent or pawl 24 is provided with a first arm 26 which extends in the general direction of the flange 12. It has a second arm 27 which curves upwardly from the pivot stud 25 and terminates in a hook-like portion 28 which functionally is the equivalent of the abutment portion 23 of the detent 21.

When the detent abutment portion 23 and the hook portion 28, respectively, are in engagement with the control plate abutments 19, the jaw elements 13 will be held in what is known as a secondary latched position. When in this secondary latched position, the relationship of these jaw elements to a striker or keeper pin creates sufficient interference to prevent opening movement of the vehicle door. The door will not, however, be held against vibratory movement in a vertical direction, and it is expected that the rattling noise that will ensue as the vehicle is driven about will call the occupants attention to the fact that the door is not fully latched. When the abutment portion 23 and the hook portion28 are in engagement with the respective control plate abutments 18, as seen in FIG. 1, both jaw elements 13 are in final or fully latched position.

The detent or pawl 21 is urged in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in FIG. 1, or toward the ratchet or upper control plate by a coiled spring 29 having its body portion looped around the pivot stud 22 and one free end portion 31 engaging a lug or projection 32 on the upper edge of the detent or pawl 21. The other free end 33 of the spring 29 abuts a lug or projection 34 turned out of the case plate 11.

The detent or pawl 24 is also urged in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in FIG. 1, or toward the lower ratchet or control plate 15 by a fiat spiral spring 35 having its inner end 36 anchored in a slot or kerf in the pivot stud 25 and its free end 37 in abutting relation to a lug 38 appended to the arm 27 of the detent 24. Thus, both the detent 21 and the detent 24 are spring-urged into engagement with the upper and lower control plates 15, respectively.

Pivotal actuation of the detent or pawl 21 in a clockwise direction, as viewed in FIG. 1, or in a direction out of the path of the abutments 18 and 19 of the upper control plate 15 is accomplished through an actuating or release lever, generally designated 39, having a common pivot axis with the detent 21 on the pivot stud 22. This lever 39 has a horizontally extending arm 41 which extends toward the case plate flange 12 and a vertically depending arm 42. The horizontally extending arm 41 underlies the lug 32 on the detent or pawl 21 so that when the lever 39 is swung in a clockwise direction, as viewed in FIG. 1, upward movement of its arm 41 will be transmitted through the lug 32 to the detent 21 causing the latter to be lifted out of the path of the abutments 18 and 19 on the upper control plate 15. The lever 39 is adapted to be operated by an outside operator, such as a push button mounted in a handle mounted on the outer panel of the vehicle door. Only a portion 43 of the stem of the outside operator is shown, the stem portion 43 abutting a flange 44 on the lower end of the lever arm 42.

Because the present latch mechanism embodies a double detent or pawl system, it is readily apparent that provision also must be made for pivotal actuation of the detent or pawl 24 in a clockwise direction, as viewed in FIG. 1, or in a direction out of the path of the abutments 18 and 19 on the lower control plate 15. This is accomplished through a link, generally designated 45, which is pivotally suspended from the free end of the lever arm 41. The link 45 is connected to the lever arm 41 by means of a pivot stud or rivet 46. The link 45 has a hook-like portion 47 at its lower end adapted to engage a lug or projection 48 on the free end of the detent arm 26. When the parts of the latch mechanism are in the relationship shown in FIG. 1, upward movement of the lever arm 41 will cause the link 45 to be raised and the hook-like portion 47 thereon to engage the lug 48 on the detent arm 26. The detent 24 will then be swung in a clockwise direction or out of engagement with the lower control plate 15. The link 45 is always urged into its transmitting position shown in FIG. 1 by means of a spring 49 having its body portion encompassing the pivot 46 and an elongated free end portion 51 hooked over the link so as to provide a biasing force urging the lower end of the link 45 toward the flange 12. The spring 49 has an upper arm portion 52 which engages a lug or projection 53 appended to the lever arm 41. The lug 53 acts as the fixed member against which the spring 49 reacts.

vAs with most conventional latch mechanisms, the present latch mechanism is operable from the inside of the vehicle door by means of an inner manually operable bell crank lever, generally designated 54. The bell crank lever 54 is pivotally mounted on a pivot stud 55 near the upper edge of the case plate flange 12. It is provided with a substantially horizontally extending arm 56 and a vertically extending arm 57. The vertical arm 57 is adapted to be coupled by a draft link (not shown) extending to a remote control mechanism (not shown) mounted on the inner panel of the door. The bell crank lever 54 is adapted to be swung in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 2 and is prevented from being swung in a clockwise direction by means of a stop 58 lanced from the case plate flange 12.

Movement of the bell crank lever 54 is transmitted to the detents 21 and 24 through the link 45. As shown in FIG. 1, the side of the link 45 adjacent to the case plate flange 12 is provided with an elongated notch 59. The upper edge 61 of the notch 59 extends in a substantially horizontal direction and overlies the free end 62 of the bell crank lever arm 56 with only a slight amount of clearance therebetween. Thus, with the parts as shown, upward movement of the arm 56 of the bell crank lever 54 causes the link 45 to be raised, thereby raising the lever arm 41 which in turn causes upward movement of the detent 21 so that its abutment portion will be out of the path of the ratchet teeth 18 and 19 on the upper control plate 15, and which simultaneously causes swinging movement of the detent 24 so that its abutment portion 28 will be out of the path of the ratchet teeth 18 and 19 on the lower control plate 15.

As on a conventional vehicle door latch mechanism, provision is made for locking the latch mechanism to prevent disengagement of the detents from the control plates holding the latch jaws in latched position. In the present latch mechanism, this is accomplished by means of a locking lever, generally designated 63. that the lower edge of the notch 59 is inclined at 64 to provide a cam surface. When the locking lever 63 is moved to its FIG. 2 position about its pivot stud 65 to the dot-dash outline position shown, the end 66 of the lever 63 engages the cam surface 64 and drives the link 45 away the lug 48 on the detent arm 26. Therefore, the link although actuated by either the inner or outer manually operable means, is rendered inelfective to cause clockwise swinging movement of the detent 24 in a direction to move the projection 28 out of the path of the abutments 18 or 19 on the lower control plate 15. It will be understood that the upper detent 21 does move so that its projection 23 is out of the path of the abutments 18 and 19 on the upper control plate 15. The relationship of the jaw elements with a striker pin trapped therebetween is, however, such that unless both jaw elements are freely movable to an unlatched position, the door cannot be moved to an open position.

The locking lever 63 may be moved from locking to non-locking position by means of a rod 67 which projects through the garnish molding on the inner side of the vehicle door for manual engagement so that it may be moved up and down with corresponding movement of the locking lever 63. A suitable spring 68 may be provided to positively hold the locking lever 63 in either of its positions. As shown, the spring 68 is a flat spring having a dimple at its free end which nests in either one of a pair of depressions 69 indented on the flange 12. A stop 71 is lanced from the flange 12 to limit the movement of the locking lever 63 in its downward direction.

To complete the description of the present latch mechanism, attention is called to the compound spring generally designated 72. This compound spring 72 comprises an upper spiral spring 73 and a lower spiral spring 74, the inner ends which are fixedly coupled to the upper and lower pivot shafts 14 of the upper and lower jaw elements 13, respectively. Since the upper and lower jaw elements must swing in opposite directions upon engagement with a striker pin, the springs are counterwound and both urge their respective jaw elements in It will be noted unlatched direction, the link 75 therebetween acting as the reaction member against which each spring acts in its attempt to unwind. Since the springs are mounted on the pivot shaft portions, this tendency to unwind urges the latch elements in unlatched direction.

The latch elements are mounted in an appropriate housing 76 (see FIG. 3). The wall surfaces 77 and 78 of the housing on each side of the opening through which the striker or keeper pin is admitted acts as a stop to limit the movement of the latch elements in opening direc tion and to insure that the latch elements are positioned so that they will be ready to engage the striker pin as the door is moved from an open to a closed position. As the door is moved to a closed position, the striker pin will seat in one or the other of the recesses 17. This causes the striker pin to be guided into engagement with the recess 17 in the other jaw element so that both jaw elements fully engage the striker pin on opposite sides as they are swung against the resistance of their respective springs toward the fully latched position shown in FIG. 3. The detent abutment portion 23 and the detent abutment portion 28 will then engage the control plate ratchet teeth 18 or 19 so that the jaw elements are restrained against movement in an unlatchin-g direction.

In fully latched position, the center of the striker pin will be located substantially at the center of the circular notches or recesses 17. In fully latched position this center lies over-center from a line drawn between the pivot axes of the two jaw elements. This relationship is such that any forces tending to separate the two jaw elements will not be in the direction of opening movement of the door but will be rather in the direction of closing movement, and thus the tendency would be to urge the door more fully in a closed direction.

It is believed that the operation of the present latch mechanism is evident from the foregoing description, but that a brief restatement may be helpful. When the jaw elements are in unlatched position, a position in which they would be facing toward the opening in the housing on the front face of the latch mechanism, the

detent projection 23 on the detent 21 and the detent projection 28 on the detent 24 will lie behind the ratchet teeth 19 on the control plates. Upon closing movement of the door, the jaw elements will engage a striker pin which will force them toward the rear of the housing. Swinging movement of the jaw elements will be transmitted through the pivot shafts 14 to the control plates 15, the upper control plate rotating in a counterclockwise direction and the lower control plate rotating in a clockwise direction. The detent projections 23' and 28 will merely override the ratchet teeth 19 and 18.

The detent projections will drop into engagement with the ratchet tooth 19 on each control plate if insuflicient force is applied in closing the door, but if sufiicient force is applied both projections will drop into engagement with the ratchet teeth 18 thereby maintaining the jaw elements in fully latched position. If it is now desired to lock the doors so that they cannot be opened, it is only necessary to depress the rod 67 so that the locking lever 63 will be moved downwardly swinging the link away from the flange 12. As described above, this disturbs the abutting relationship between the end 47 of the link and the projection 48 on the detent 26. If the outside manually operable means is actuated to depress the stem 43 to swing the lever 39 in a clockwise direction, or if the remote control bell crank lever 54 is swung to raise the lever arm 56 into abutting relation with the link edge 61 which will also cause the lever 39 to be swung in clockwise direction, only the upper detent 21 will be disengaged from the upper control plate. The lower detent 24 will remain in ratchet plate restraining condition and the door cannot be unlatched.

Should the parts of the latch mechanism be placed in locked condition when the vehicle door is open and the door is then moved to a closed position, no damage ,to the latch mechanism can occur. The detents 21 and 24 will merely override the projections on the control plates 15. The detent arm 26 of the lower detent 24 will merely move up and down in the clearance provided at the end of the link 45, and the upper detent 21 will merely move independently of the release lever 39 since it is pivoted independently of the lever on the pivot stud 22. If the door is closed and in locked condition, it is only necessary to raise the rod 67 to lift the locking lever 66 to permit the spring 49' to urge the link 45 back into operative relationship to the detent arm 26. The door may then be opened by actuation of either the inner manually operable bell crank lever 54 or the outer manually lever 39.

I claim:

1. In a latch mechanism for a swinging door,

a support having a plate portion for disposition at a.

free edge wall of the door,

a pair of jaw elements pivotally mounted on one side of said plate portion for counter-swinging movement from an unlatched position toward each other to a latched position in which said jaw elements are adapted to engage a striker pin therebetween,

a pair of control plates mounted on the opposite side of said plate portion each of which is fixedly coupled to one of said jaw elements for pivotal movement therewith,

a pair of detent means each pivotally mounted on said plate portion and engageable with detent engageable portions on the respective control plates to restrain said jaw elements in door latched position,

spring means biasing said jaw elements toward unlatched position,

said spring means comprising a pair of counterwound spiral springs,

each of said springs being coupled to one of said control plates, respectively, to urge the same in counterclockwise direction of rotation,

said spring means being coupled to each other through a common link portion,

said link portion providing a reaction means against which said springs react to urge said control plates and thereby said jaw elements in unlatched direction,

and manually operable means engageable with said pair of detent means to simultaneously disengage the latter from the respective control plates to permit movement of said detent means restrained jaw elements to unlatched position.

2. In a latch mechanism according to claim 1,

said manually operable means comprising a release lever pivotally mounted on said plate portion having direct engagement with one of said detent means for disengaging the same from the control plate engaged thereby,

and link means coupled to said release lever extending into engagement with the other of said detent means for transmitting release lever movement to the latter from the control plate engaged thereby.

3. In a latch mechanism according to claim 2,

said release lever and said one detent means having a common pivot axis and being mounted for pivotal movement independently of each other,

said one detent means having a part thereof in abutting relation to said release lever so that upon swinging movement of the latter in one direction said one detent means will be swung in the same direction but swinging movement of said one detent means in said one direction independently of said release lever will not result in corresponding swinging movement of the latter.

4. In a latch mechanism according to claim 3,

said link means when in release lever movement transmitting position having a part thereof abutting a part of said detent means with both of said parts being movable in the same direction upon operation of said release lever,

said detent means part being movable in said same direction independently of said link means part upon movement of the detent means independently of said link means, such as occurs when the jaw elements are-moved from unlatched to latched position on closing of the door.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,987,336 6/1961 Kramer 292-52 3,027,184 3/1962 D6 Vito. 3,206,237 9/1965 ROethel.

EDWARD C. ALLEN, Primary Examiner.

J. R. MOSES, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN A LATCH MECHANISM FOR A SWINGING DOOR, A SUPPORT HAVING A PLATE PORTION FOR DISPOSITION AT A FREE EDGE WALL OF THE DOOR, A PAIR OF JAW ELEMENTS PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ON ONE SIDE OF SAID PLATE PORTION FOR COUNTER-SWINGING MOVEMENT FROM AN UNLATCHED POSITION TOWARD EACH OTHER TO A LATCHED POSITION IN WHICH SAID JAW ELEMENTS ARE ADAPTED TO ENGAGE A STRIKER PIN THEREBETWEEN, A PAIR OF CONTROL PLATES MOUNTED ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF SAID PLATE PORTION EACH OF WHICH IS FIXEDLY COUPLED TO ONE OF SAID JAW ELEMENTS FOR PIVOTAL MOVEMENT THEREWITH, A PAIR OF DETENT MEANS EACH PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ON SAID PLATE PORTION AND ENGAGEABLE WITH DETENT ENGAGEABLE PORTIONS ON THE RESPECTIVE CONTROL PLATES TO RESTRAIN SAID JAW ELEMENTS IN DOOR LATCHED POSITION, SPRING MEANS BIASING SAID JAW ELEMENTS TOWARD UNLATCHED POSITION, SAID SPRING MEANS COMPRISING A PAIR OF COUNTERWOUND SPIRAL SPRINGS, EACH OF SAID SPRINGS BEING COUPLED TO ONE OF SAID CONTROL PLATES, RESPECTIVELY, TO URGE THE SAME IN COUNTERCLOCKWISE DIRECTION OF ROTATION, SAID SPRING MEANS BEING COUPLED TO EACH OTHER THROUGH A COMMON LINK PORTION, SAID LINK PORTION PROVIDING A REACTION MEANS AGAINST WHICH SAID SPRINGS REACT TO URGE SAID CONTROL PLATES AND THEREBY SAID JAW ELEMENTS IN UNLATCHED DIRECTION, AND MANUALLY OPERABLE MEANS ENGAGEABLE WITH SAID PAIR OF DETENT MEANS TO SIMULTANEOUSLY DISENGAGE THE LATTER FROM THE RESPECTIVE CONTROL PLATES TO PERMIT MOVEMENT OF SAID DETENT MEANS RESTRAINED JAW ELEMENTS TO UNLATCHED POSITION. 